NTSB examines wreckage after two helicopters collide near McMinnville

The National Transportation Safety Board began investigating a midair collision in Oregon on Friday, arriving at the scene where two helicopters crashed into a farm field the previous day. The team arrived to examine the wreckage of a red Airbus AS350B3 and a green Robinson R22, which lay crumpled and upside down in the dirt under cloudy skies.

The accident occurred around 2 p.m. on Thursday, approximately one mile east of the McMinnville airport. Grant Mills, the NTSB air safety investigator for the case, confirmed the location and time. McMinnville is situated in the Willamette Valley, a region known for wine production that lies about an hour southwest of Portland. The collision happened near the foothills of the Coast Range.

Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the three victims at a news conference. Tyler Sturdevant, a 38-year-old Oregon pilot, was flying the AS350B3 on a maintenance run. The NTSB noted that such flights typically occur after repairs are completed. The R22 was carrying two people on an instructional flight: Maddie Aasbo, a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas, and Christopher Joughin, a 31-year-old student pilot from the United Kingdom.

Witnesses described the sequence of events from nearby ground. Leo Rodriguez, who was working on a barn roof at his family winery, heard an explosion in the air. He said the tail of the larger helicopter was struck, causing it to turn toward the ground, while the smaller aircraft fell vertically. Authorities released photos showing the extensive damage to both airframes in the field.

The operators of the aircraft have entered into cooperation with federal authorities. Jerry Trimble Helicopters, which operates the flight school, and Precision, a charter and maintenance firm, are both assisting the investigation. Precision, which also supports military drone missions, described Sturdevant as a senior pilot who had worked with the company for more than 20 years. His LinkedIn profile listed him as a Federal Aviation Administration pilot examiner for the past four years.

Aasbo graduated from the wildlife management program at Southwest Texas College in Uvalde. She was a member of the college rodeo team from 2021 to 2023. A Facebook post from the group described her as a woman who found freedom in flying helicopters in Oregon. The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is providing support to Joughin's family and is in contact with local officials.